Porsche said it will begin testing three all-electric Boxsters in early 2011 as part of a broader commitment to what it terms "electro-mobility," including plans to market a pure electric sports car as a supplement to its growing stable of hybrid vehicles.
Porsche CEO and President Michael Macht observed: "We will definitely be offering an electric sports car in future. But such a concept only makes sense if it offers performance and a cruising range comparable to that of a sports car today."
The electric-Boxster field test is being conducted near Porsche headquarters here, under Stuttgart's Modellregion Elektromobilitaet program. Porsche said the tests are intended to "research user behavior and the infrastructure necessary for electro-mobility."
On the production side, Porsche already has introduced the Cayenne S Hybrid and has announced plans to begin selling the Panamera S Hybrid in 2011.
Earlier this year, the automaker unveiled the sensational 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid concept and the 911GT3 R Hybrid racing car. The latter vehicle will race later this year at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and the Le Mans International Cup in Zuhai, China
Inside Line says: Porsche is packaging its ongoing EV and hybrid research under the umbrella theme of Porsche Intelligent Performance.
